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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24676162">All For My Son</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandom_explosion/pseuds/fandom_explosion'>fandom_explosion</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Body Dysphoria, Damien has PTSD, Damien is 17 and a Junior, Damien is Trans, Damien is autistic, Gay Damien Bloodmarch, Gender Dysphoria, Heavy Angst, Joseph is 17 and a Junior, M/M, Mary cusses way too much for this to be anything below Teen and Up, Mary is 16 turning 17 and a Junior, Mary is Damien's BFF and cishet Ally, Teenage Pregnancy, Toxic Relationships, Trans Male Character, Trans Male Pregnancy, Transphobia, taking off a condom mid-sex is rape, teen dad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:22:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,799</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24676162</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandom_explosion/pseuds/fandom_explosion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Leaving marks of his kisses on Damien's neck, he began taking off both of their pants and underwear, ready to go. Once Damien noticed where things were going, he ignored his anxieties, looking Logan dead in the eyes and firmly stating. "Condom."</p><p>He merely raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I have 'em. Why?"</p><p>Damien firmly held eye contact, which was already enough of a challenge for him. He didn't want to have to tell him to put one on, but it seemed like he was too horny to be anything more than dense.</p><p>Before he could say anything, the other sighed while rubbing his own neck. "You're too worried about it. You can't even get pregnant, right?"</p><p>Damien's voice got more serious in tone. "It's a smaller   chance. I am not 100% in the clear. Testosterone isn't birth control, remember?" He softened his face, looking pleadingly into Logan's eyes as a means of silently begging for him to put it on.</p><p>It was a tense couple of seconds, but Logan caved in. "Is there a time where we won't need to do this? It just seems a little ridiculous to me," he said as he reluctantly went to put on the condom.</p><p>Damien felt a stab in his heart. "Ri... Ridiculous?"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Damien Bloodmarch &amp; Lucien Bloodmarch, Damien Bloodmarch/Dadsona, Damien Bloodmarch/Original Male Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>66</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Was It All a Joke to You?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I won't be describing any genuinely graphic depictions of the characters having sex unless they are BOTH 18 or older. Considering how for a good chunk of the story the characters involved are minors, I will be drawing a line at once actual intercourse gets involved. While I do believe that there should be a limit on graphic depictions of minors having sex, the theme of the story actually involves some level of the topic being shown.</p><p>With that said, be warned that there is some mild description of what occurs, but it will cut off before things do get intense. I specifically chose to rate this story as "Teen and Up" and did not choose "Underage" since I am not actually making any graphic depictions of the minors.</p><p>I hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Shhh, you're making too much noise," Damien whispered to his lover, Logan, as he pulled out the hairband that held his own hair in a low ponytail. The two of them were in his home alone, but that did not stop Damien from wanting to keep their more <em> intimate </em>  relations under wraps from the neighbors' hearing range. After all, he knew how much Logan enjoyed being loud in bed and he didn't want the neighbors ratting him and Logan out to his parents. It would make for an all too awkward conversation that he wasn't and never wanted to be ready for.</p><p> </p><p>The other rolled his eyes while dishing out his enticing smile, peppering Damien's face with kisses. "Don't worry, I'll keep myself quiet this time. I promise." He gave Damien a kiss on the lips, eager to return to their already intense make-out session. He continued to touch Damien in all the right places, making his head spin and melt into a puddle of quiet sounds of pleasure.</p><p> </p><p>Even with how good he was feeling, he wasn't all too convinced that he would keep his voice down this time. He promised every other time, but more often than not, he'd always be too loud for Damien's nerves. Then again, he could have been overthinking things like all of the other times. At the very least, the neighbors didn't <em> seem </em>  like they were aware.</p><p> </p><p>He could feel the heat rise even higher in his body as Logan combed his fingers through his hair, giving it a tight tug that elicited a small sound from Damien. Logan snaked his hand up his boyfriend's shirt, ready to take it off, but Damien quickly stopped his hand. "Um... Not tonight... Th-the shirt and chest, I mean. It's another one of those days for me..." While eye contact made him very uncomfortable, he looked into Logan's eyes, searching for any hint of anger in his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>For a split second, he could have sworn he saw a glint of irritation, but Logan wore a soft smile on his face. "I wouldn't do anything to make you uncomfortable sweetheart." He felt a pit in his stomach. He really hated being called that. It felt too feminine to him, but he refused to say anything. He already told Logan to stop a couple things he was doing tonight, and he didn't want to make things awkward for the both of them. He just decided to take it and enjoy the night as much as he could. After all, he felt as though he made it through other nights just fine.</p><p> </p><p>Leaving marks of his kisses on Damien's neck, he began taking off both of their pants and underwear, ready to go. Once Damien noticed where things were going, he ignored his anxieties, looking Logan dead in the eyes and firmly stating. "Condom."</p><p> </p><p>He merely raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I have 'em. Why?"</p><p> </p><p>Damien firmly held eye contact, which was already enough of a challenge for him. He didn't want to have to tell him to put one on, but it seemed like he was too horny to be anything more than dense.</p><p> </p><p>Before he could say anything, the other sighed while rubbing his own neck. "You're too worried about it. You can't even get pregnant, right?"</p><p> </p><p>Damien's voice got more serious in tone. "It's a <em> smaller </em>  chance. I am not 100% in the clear. Testosterone isn't birth control, remember?" He softened his face, looking pleadingly into Logan's eyes as a means of silently begging for him to put it on.</p><p> </p><p>It was a tense couple of seconds, but Logan caved in. "Is there a time where we won't need to do this? It just seems a little ridiculous to me," he said as he reluctantly went to put on the condom.</p><p> </p><p>Damien felt a stab in his heart. "Ri... Ridiculous?"</p><p> </p><p>Logan shook his head. "It's nothing. Look, I've got it on, so let's get back to it," and without a moment's hesitation, he returned to his heavy kisses.</p><p> </p><p>However, that comment wasn't something that he could completely push out of his mind. Were all of his complaints ridiculous? He thought they were fairly reasonable, but maybe he <em> was </em>  being too demanding. Who was he to make any demands, though? He already inconvenienced his boyfriend enough as it is by having a set of rules for the two of them to follow since him being trans came with obstacles that Logan hadn't faced with his other partners.</p><p> </p><p>As the night progressed, Damien stayed as quiet as he could about any other qualms he had with Logan. He didn't want to stir up any arguments between the two of them, especially about anything regarding sex. Realistically, he wanted to talk more about it, but he didn't want Logan getting mad at him. He already had his temper flare up at inopportune moments as it was, so maybe just riding this out was the better option for the both of them.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe Logan was right.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>A week had passed since that night, and while Logan kept trying to have sex with Damien, he just felt really uncomfortable about doing it again. The comment he made really didn't sit right with him, and he wanted to avoid making any further ridiculous demands while having sex with Logan, at least, not for a while.</p><p> </p><p>Damien anxiously tapped the steering wheel, driving himself back to school for another day of education. He really wanted to talk to someone about things, but he didn't want to make their private affairs public. After all, if he was going to progress any further in his relationship with Logan, he was going to need to learn how to deal with his confrontations on his own. That didn't make his heart hurt any less, though.</p><p> </p><p>He wanted it all resolved, but he wasn't sure how he was going to do it.</p><p> </p><p>Once he pulled into the school parking lot, he pulled his pendant out of his shirt that he typically kept tucked in while he was out in public. He held the pendant to his heart and prayed in a low whisper, "May the universe protect me from any undesirable outcomes that I may come across today with Logan. In return, I’ll refrain from speaking ill against him throughout all of today. Help me to steer clear of any unwanted arguments with him. I trust that you’ll protect me throughout today.” After planting a kiss on the pendant, he tucked it back into his shirt and left his car with his backpack on.</p><p> </p><p>While he was an atheist, he believed that there was some central force in the universe that dealt out the outcomes: negative, positive, and neutral for all of life’s events in the past, present, and future. Besides, that was one of the only things he could cling onto for hope that his future would be brighter than the day before.</p><p> </p><p>As he approached the school building, all that was on his mind was how nervous he was to actually confront Logan about the situation. Even though he knew it was necessary, it was still a heavy burden to bear as the one who would initiate the conversation in the first place. His walking pace grew slower the further his mind sank into thought.</p><p> </p><p>“Ay, buddy, chum, pal, what has you looking so glum there, Dames?” Mary Gallagher said as she quickly popped up beside Damien.</p><p> </p><p>He immediately stood up straight, startled by her sudden appearance seemingly out of nowhere. “M-Mary! I had no idea you were there! Please don’t startle me like that again,” he said while letting out a sigh of relief.</p><p> </p><p>Mary nervously chuckled. “Sorry for scaring you there, but I am serious about what I said though. If you want to talk about it, that’s fine with me. Heck, you can talk about it as much or as little as you want,” she said as she put an arm around Damien. “Now, if you will, follow me so we can go ahead and talk about it, even just for a little bit,” and without a response able to be uttered from his lips, she already took off at a faster pace than her usual quick speed to a more secluded area of the campus.</p><p> </p><p>Once Mary settled on their destination, she took a quick peek around at her surroundings, then started, “This is about Logan, isn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>Damien was taken aback by how quick she was to read him. “I- uh- how- but-”</p><p> </p><p>She put a finger in front of his face. “Silence. Remember, I’m your best friend, and best friends know when people are in bad situations, especially when it involves… ugh… <em> boys </em>.” She rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms. “Seriously, I still don’t know how he… you know, nevermind. This is about you, not my personal qualms with people. And remember, you don’t have to tell me everything if you don’t want to. It’s entirely up to you, alright?” She held Damien’s hands to comfort him, and he smiled, grateful for her support.</p><p> </p><p>It took a couple seconds of silence before Damien started talking. “Well… as you already know, Logan and I have… <em> relations </em>  with each other. I’ll spare the details, but ultimately, my current issue with him is how he…” he drew in deep breath and slowly exhaled before continuing, “He makes me feel as though the requests I make about what we do in bed are… ridiculous… like wearing a condom-”</p><p> </p><p>Mary’s eyes shone with nothing but fury. “He did <em> what </em>  now?!” She rolled up her sleeves, punching a fist into her other hand. “That bitch better be ready when I see him next because these hands-”</p><p> </p><p>“Mary, please,” he said with tears welling up in his eyes, “Don’t hurt him… You know that I can’t stand to see him get hurt… It’s my fault for being difficult.” Before Mary could say anything, tears were already falling down his face.</p><p> </p><p>“Support?” Mary asked, and Damien silently nodded. Mary took off Damien’s glasses and hooked them in her shirt so they wouldn’t be hard to clean later, and she hugged him while patting him gently on the back. His sobs were rather quiet since he was never one to like drawing any undue attention to himself, but Mary helped him to feel heard through the pain he was going through. Once his tears and sobs subsided, she let go of him so he could blow his nose with a piece of tissue he pulled out from his backpack.</p><p> </p><p>After throwing out the tissue, he said to Mary, “Thanks for being there for me. I just… Whenever I tell him not to take off my shirt or binder because of my… well, my chest dysphoria, I swear I see a glint of anger or irritation in his eyes. I know that it’s difficult dating someone that’s trans when you’re cis, but at the same time… maybe I’m just the one being difficult.”</p><p> </p><p>“Damien, listen to me,” she said with her arms crossed. “Why are you so willing to throw yourself and your feelings under the bus for Logan?”</p><p> </p><p>Damien has been ready for these arguments with Mary. The script has been held close to his heart ever since the first time she confronted him about Logan’s behavior. “He truly does love me. He’s really wonderful more often than not. Whenever we’re out on dates, he treats me with love and kindness, and I couldn’t ask for more from him.”</p><p> </p><p>Her look grew more intense. “How about the times he made you feel guilty just because you asked him not to call you sweetheart?”</p><p> </p><p>That was a stab to the chest. “He just has a hard time adjusting to changes-”</p><p> </p><p>“And what about whenever he lashes out at you during his angry episodes?”</p><p> </p><p>He wasn’t appreciating the turn this was taking, “Mary. Please, stop pushing so hard. You know that I don’t want to hurt the people I love-”</p><p> </p><p>“But he keeps on hurting you!” Mary finally hit her breaking point, and Damien was right there to see it all spill out. “I’ve been by your side since we started middle school together! I was <em> there </em>  to see you become the young man that you are today, yet I repeatedly see Logan not treat you with the respect that I give you. He has complained so much about accommodations that you need in order to live most comfortably. Hell, if I was the one dating you, I’d be treating you with more respect than that piece of filth ever has!” She made eye contact with Damien and all that she could see was a stunned look on his face. She immediately pulled back, holding her other arm and looking down at the ground. Her voice softer, she continued, “I’m… I’m sorry for going off like that, but please, take my words to heart. I hate seeing you get hurt by him, and I won’t make any exceptions for his behavior. I know you love him, but you have to put yourself and your own sanity above men sometimes.”</p><p> </p><p>Damien didn’t have any words to say, but he nodded and opened his arms for a hug. With a smile, Mary gave him the loving hug that he needed. It took a while before Damien could say, “I’ll be sure to have a conversation with him about this… I even prayed to the universe that I’d stay safe throughout today, so hopefully that’ll work out well.”</p><p> </p><p>“I sure hope so too.” Immediately, Mary tensed up. While she did want Damien to stay safe, she couldn’t trust the universe nor Jesus himself to keep Damien safe with the relationship that he found himself in.</p><p> </p><p>Damien could tell that she was trying to find a way to retract her statement, but he chuckled. “It’s alright, don’t worry about me. Things are going to be just fine.” He flashed her a smile, and she joined in, but she was too worried to be genuinely happy for him.</p><p> </p><p>“Um, Dames, just so you know, I hardly use the minutes on my phone. I know, I guess I must be old-school, but if you ever need me, and I mean if you <em> ever </em>  need me, just call me or text me. I’ll drop whatever I’m doing to help you out if you need it, okay?” She looked very serious, and Damien had no choice but to take her seriously.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course Mary, I’ll let you know if anything happens.”</p><p> </p><p>“Promise?” She said, looking him straight in the eyes.</p><p> </p><p>While he struggled to make direct eye contact with her, he did his best and nodded. “I promise.”</p><p> </p><p>Mary eased up on him, and broke the hug. “Thank you Dames. Remember, we’re partners in crime! If I kill someone, you bury the body with me.”</p><p> </p><p>He said in a whisper, “Maybe you shouldn’t say that so loud. The staff might hear you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, what’s it matter? I’ve already gotten three detentions in the past two months alone for getting into fist figh- I mean… You see-”</p><p> </p><p>The school bell cut her off before she could try and explain away why she wasn’t able to make it to some of the movies nights the two of them had planned, so she shrugged and said, “I’ll just walk you to your next class, how about that?”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not going to stop me from asking you about why you have been getting into fights with others,” he said flicking his wrist as a way to shake off how loud the school bell was.</p><p> </p><p>“Can’t blame a gal like me for trying though!”</p><p> </p><p>Before they could start walking, Damien quickly said, “Oh, I almost forgot! Um…” he whispered into Mary’s ear, “I haven’t had my period yet. I still have my cycle on T, but do you think I should be worried?”</p><p> </p><p>Mary thought about it for a second, and whispered back, “You used protection, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, of course.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re probably just irregular then, or it finally stopped. Just wait it out, you’ll be fine. That or maybe you can see a doctor about it since it could be the T. Oh, and here’s your glasses,” she said as she gave him the glasses she held hostage in her shirt.</p><p> </p><p>He nodded and gratefully put his glasses on his face once more. “Thank you, and you’re right, thanks for the suggestion.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The last bell rang for the day, and Damien stood in front of his car waiting for Logan to meet him so he could take them to his house to hang out again. It was taking him longer than usual for him to get to Damien’s car. Maybe he got lost along the way? It wouldn’t surprise him since the campus was so big. He pulled out his phone and began texting Logan. Before he could send the text, Mary sent him a text.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Have you talked with him yet? No pressure &lt;3</p>
</blockquote><p> </p><p>Damien sighed. He really wanted to today, but he felt as though the best time would be during the car ride. He began typing.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Not just yet. Maybe on the way home I’ll mention it to him?</p>
</blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Stay safe Dames. And remember: Support.</p>
</blockquote><p> </p><p>“Who’re you texting there Dames?” Logan said while peering over Damien’s shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>He let out a yelp, quickly turning around. “Please don’t come up behind me like that! I was surprised!” Not to mention, he was also drowning in a pool of anxiety at the moment, but he wouldn’t dare mention that.</p><p> </p><p>“What, you found someone cuter than me already? Lemme guess, it’s a girl with a bangin’ hot body,” he said while making straight eye contact with Damien, almost in an accusatory way. He immediately began laughing, ensuring that it could be read as a joke.</p><p> </p><p>“I’d never, I’m not straight. I’m very <em> very </em>  clearly gay as I am dating you and have only dated guys.”</p><p> </p><p>“Aw, that’s like saying I’m hardly bi at all since I’ve only dated girls before you,” he said with a fake hurt look on his face.</p><p> </p><p>Damien immediately began blushing from embarrassment. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t what I meant...”</p><p> </p><p>Logan patted his back and made his way to the passenger’s side of the car. “Nah, you’re fine, I’m just joshin’ ya.”</p><p> </p><p>By the time Logan got into the car, Damien laughed a weak laugh. “Ha ha… yeah, a joke…” then he muttered in a low voice, “Just like the other million times you’ve said that when I’ve texted Mary…”</p><p> </p><p>He joined Logan in the car, starting it up and beginning the drive to his own home.</p><p> </p><p>“So,” Logan started as he looked at Damien with suggestive eyes, “How was our <em> moment </em>  last week, eh?”</p><p> </p><p>Damien sighed, not ready to handle another one of Logan’s attempts to coerce him into sex. “Please, not now, I’m driving.”</p><p> </p><p>The other pouted. “Ah, I was only kidding,” he said even though he clearly wasn’t.</p><p> </p><p>At this point, Damien finally mustered up the courage to finally say his piece. “I actually want to talk about last week… and every other <em> moment </em>  as you put it.” He paused for a couple moments, taking a quick glance at Logan to make sure he was listening to him. Luckily, he was looking at Damien, so he was attentive. “You see, whenever I end up having sex with you… you make me feel as though my requests are too much for you to handle or that I’m burdening you by trying to make sure that I’m comfortable throughout our experience together. I, by no means, have any will to make you feel like you’re the bad person in this. However, I would very much appreciate it if you were to maybe listen more to what I ask of you rather than brushing it off as though I’m just worrying over nothing.”</p><p> </p><p>“But babe, I-”</p><p> </p><p>“And another thing,” Damien noticed he was on a roll and couldn’t stop, “sometimes the way you refer to me, like ‘babe’ and ‘sweetheart’, they make me not feel my best not because they’re bad words, but since I’m trans and I want to distance myself from certain words that remind me of the fact I was born the way I am, it hurts me to be called those words whether or not you mean for it to be that way.”</p><p> </p><p>He took another glance at Logan, and Logan was completely surprised. The two of them were in silence for a couple of moments. “I’m… sorry I made you feel that way,” he said in a comforting voice. “I promise I’ll do better, alright?”</p><p> </p><p>A smile grew on Damien’s face. “Thanks Logan, I really appreciate it. You don’t know how happy that makes me.”</p><p> </p><p>The rest of the drive was silent, but Damien was really happy for himself. He finally said what he wanted to say, and it worked!</p><p> </p><p>Once they pulled up to the driveway, Damien’s father was out on the front lawn, sitting in his lawn chair and drinking a beer. “Hello son! Welcome back home! Oh, hello Logan,” he said standing up and extending a hand to Damien’s boyfriend. The two shook hands while making small talk, which allowed Damien to slip inside the house unnoticed and make a bee-line to his parents’ bathroom upstairs. While he normally wouldn’t use their restroom except for absolute emergencies, he knew it would be the only place to get a hold of a pregnancy test, at least, on short notice without announcing leaving the house again. He still couldn’t shake the feeling that he could potentially be pregnant even though he used protection and was on T. There’s no such thing as being too sure, however.</p><p> </p><p>After sifting through the cabinets and drawers, he found seven tests, so he took one and followed the instructions on the box. After waiting the next couple of minutes, he took a deep breath and held the test in his hand in his line of sight.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m…”</p><p> </p><p>Positive.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m… Preg… No, no, no, no,” he quickly situated himself for the public and made a dash for his bedroom where Logan was waiting for him on his bed.</p><p> </p><p>Logan looked up from his phone. “It’s about time. Where were you?”</p><p> </p><p>“...” Damien sat down next to him on the bed, the test in hand. He held it out for him to see.</p><p> </p><p>“Hm? What’s that, a thermometer?” He said as he sat up and observed the results, genuinely confused.</p><p> </p><p>“Pregnancy test,” he said simply.</p><p> </p><p>Logan took the test in his hands, confused. “What do the two lines mean?”</p><p> </p><p>“Pregnant.”</p><p> </p><p>“... Are you sure? Did you even read the packaging? I’m sure you’re wrong.”</p><p> </p><p>“No.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, what?”</p><p> </p><p>“Positive. Test is positive. I’m pregnant.”</p><p> </p><p>Damien had a hard time fleshing out “proper sentences” whenever he was stressed, but this was a new level of stress that he never thought he’d have to live through, at least, not this soon. He could feel a heavy and dark feeling grow in the pit of his stomach. This wasn’t something he wanted. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen. He used protection. Sure he didn’t use birth control, but that would have messed up his T injections.</p><p> </p><p>Logan gripped onto Damien’s wrist, a little too hard for comfort. “Is there a reason why the test came out positive?”</p><p> </p><p>His heart instantly dropped. <em> Does he mean… I cheated on him? </em></p><p> </p><p>“I bet it’s that Mary girl, huh. I bet she’s one of those, what’s it called… transgendered guys? I bet she did this!”</p><p> </p><p>“No!” Damien shouted, unable to control the volume of his voice. “She isn’t trans! She’s like you: cis! She didn’t do this!”</p><p> </p><p>He quickly stood up, getting up in Damien’s face and shouting, “Then explain how this happened!”</p><p> </p><p>Tears immediately began building up in his eyes, unable to handle confrontation, especially when his boyfriend is the one yelling at him. He couldn’t say anything anymore, not because he was guilty, but because he was unable to speak no matter how much he wanted to.</p><p> </p><p>Logan only grew angrier with every word that fell from his lips, “I bet you were cheating on me this whole time! There’s no way this would’ve happened unless you did this on purpose to keep me with you forever. You’re sick if you think this is gonna be how we eventually get married or whatever sick fantasy you had in mind.”</p><p> </p><p>Tears fell fast down his face, and he completely froze once his mother and father came into the room.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s all of this yelling about?” His mother said with angry crossed arms.</p><p> </p><p>Damien looked at his parents with red tear-filled eyes, unable to speak, but had eyes that pleaded for help.</p><p> </p><p>Logan, on the other hand, was too busy fuming to be civil. “Your so-called son here is out here sleazing with other guys, that’s what!” He threw the test at Damien, making the other flinch. The test hit his arm and landed on the floor. “You know what, if this is how you’re gonna play, then we’re through. You hear me? We’re <b> <em>through</em> </b> !”</p><p> </p><p>Damien’s father grabbed him by the arm tightly, saying firmly, “You’ll leave this house right now, you hear me? I will not tolerate anyone disrespecting my son like this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, fine by me! I don’t want to date a slut if that’s what you decide to endorse in your house.” He turned to Damien and said, “Don’t expect me to talk to you after this. Have fun with that demon that you have growing inside you!”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s enough!” Damien’s mother took a hold of the boy’s other arm and the two parents escorted the screaming teenager out of the house and off of the property, leaving Damien standing there, speechless and frozen in place. What was he going to do?</p><p> </p><p>Once he was finally able to move his limbs again, he quickly typed out a text to Mary.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>SUpoorut.</p>
</blockquote><p> </p><p>He was too riddled with anxiety to bother fixing his very obvious typo. All he could do now was just wait for his parents to talk with him about what just happened.</p><p> </p><p>And after a long while, that’s what happened. Damien’s father was the first to enter the room, seeing his son still standing in the same place ever since he left the room, however, he was anxiously wringing his hands and vocally stimming as a way to try and calm himself down. He calmly called out. “Damien? Did you want to talk?”</p><p> </p><p>Damien nodded his head, eventually getting to a point where he no longer needed to vocally stim. He started talking rather slowly, “So… you know how sometimes teenagers… do… certain <em> things </em>  with each other?” One look at his father and he could already see his fallen face showing fear in his eyes. He continued, “Well… me and Logan did that… and I think the most recent time it happened, it… ended up with me…” and he finished off in a low whisper, “pregnant...”</p><p> </p><p>It took a minute for his father to try and conjure up a response. This was his son who he trusted to stay safe, and <em> especially </em>   avoid any teen pregnancies, yet <em> this </em>  happened, regardless of all the warnings both he and his wife have given him ever since he started puberty. He didn’t want to say the wrong words, so he settled on saying, “I love you so much Damien, and I’m so sorry that this happened… Do you need a hug?”</p><p> </p><p>Damien nodded his head, and the moment they held each other in an embrace, he completely burst out into tears. He was terrified out of his mind. How was he going to handle this pregnancy? Would it be worth going around school as the “trans teen dad” for the rest of junior year and being an active father throughout all of senior year? How would he even continue going to school after giving birth? What would happen to his dreams of going to a technology-based college if he raises a kid? Would he even decide to keep the kid? It was all too much for him to handle. He began wishing so hard that he could go back in time to make sure that this wouldn’t happen, but no amount of wishing was going to take back what happened.</p><p> </p><p>His father began sobbing too, the both of them sharing a vulnerable and terrifying moment together. He refused to ask any questions because he knew that it would only make things worse. They needed to get their feelings out first before they could have any talks about what happened in depth.</p><p> </p><p>Mary knocked on the already open door to Damien’s room, cautiously watching the two of them crying in each others’ arms. “Dames…” she walked over and sat beside him on the bed. She asked with caution, “Is it okay if I know what happened?”</p><p> </p><p>After Damien’s father nodded to his son as approval, he said in a weak voice, “I’m pregnant… and he’s gone. It’s over...”</p><p> </p><p>Mary didn’t ask any questions, and instead joined in on the hug, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Dames…”</p><p> </p><p>In between sniffs and heavy sobs, he agreed, “I’m so sorry too…”</p><p> </p><p>The three of them with one another, adjusting to their new reality. Damien was pregnant as far as everyone was concerned. His parents needed to figure out what to do with their now-pregnant son. However, Mary had the special task of trying to be the middle-person of the situation and try to figure out how to best help out her friend on a teen-to-teen level compared to a parent-child form of assistance.</p><p> </p><p>Once the three had calmed down enough for his mother to enter the room, they delivered the news, but she didn’t take the news like the others had.</p><p> </p><p>With narrow eyes, she started shouting, “What do you <em> mean </em>  you’re pregnant? What have I told you about sex when you’re so young!”</p><p> </p><p>“Abigail,” her husband calmly stated, “This isn’t the best time.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, look at the situation that we’re in now. Do you know how many other parents have to handle a situation like this? Sure, teen pregnancies happen, which is a travesty all on its own, but with a trans kid? How’s that going to go well? How do we tell his doctor? How do we tell the school? This isn’t something that we can just put on the back burner and forget about for the next couple of hours like you do Jeff.” She looked at Damien, ready to grill him. “Did you use protection?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes…” he said in a quiet voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you know that protection doesn’t always work?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I sure as hell know now, don’t I?!” he sharply answered.</p><p> </p><p>His mother glared at him. “Don’t you dare raise your voice!”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re already raising yours at me, what do you think I’m supposed to do? Take your yelling and smile? No!”</p><p> </p><p>Mary shouted, “Please, stop! Damien’s already going through enough right now, and I’m sure you both are, too.” She began calming her voice so as to not further anger Damien’s mother. “Mr. and Mrs. Bloodmarch, how about we give Damien some space for a bit to just sit on things. I think he has a couple of big decisions to make, so maybe some space will help him clear his head and make some final decisions. Does that sound like a good idea?”</p><p> </p><p>The two parents looked at one another, the father silently encouraging her to agree with Mary, and she <em> visibly </em>  remained reluctant, but nodded. “Alright, Damien does need his space. You’re free to stay for dinner, Mary. I don’t expect you to leave, and we can open a spot on the couch for you tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>Damien shook his head. “She should go home. I’m sure your family is worried out of their minds about where you are.”</p><p> </p><p>She shook her head. “You know they hardly notice whenever I’m in or out of the house. I’m staying with you. You need it, <em> especially </em>  right now.”</p><p> </p><p>Damien smiled, caving in. “Thank you so much Mary.”</p><p> </p><p>His mother left the door, calling out behind her, “Jeff, you can help me make dinner tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>“Coming, honey,” he called out. He turned to his son and Mary. “Please treat him well,” he said to Mary, worry ever-present in his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>She nodded. “You have my word.”</p><p> </p><p>He nodded in return and left the room to help make dinner. He closed the door behind him to make sure that his son had some privacy. Damien more than appreciated the gesture.</p><p> </p><p>Mary sighed. “I’m… I’m just so sorry that this had to happen to you. You know you didn’t deserve this in the slightest, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“But it happened anyways,” he said in a voice barely above a whisper. “I’m the one responsible for it. If only I told him not to have sex that night-”</p><p> </p><p>Mary held both of his shoulders, looking at him and stating firmly, “Hey, you need to stop beating yourself up over this. Yes, what happened was an accident, but it’s not the end of the world.” She let go of him and began messing with her hair. “So, you already know that I’m pro-choice, but remember, your choice is <em> your </em>  choice, and your choice alone. I’m there for you no matter what choice you make, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Damien nodded. “Yeah… It’s too soon for me to make a choice. Technically, the sooner the better if I want the baby gone… but at the same time, what if I want this baby? I’ve always wanted to be a father. I don’t realistically want to be a father now, but the opportunity is in my hands… I don’t know what to do with this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Me neither… but if you ever want to talk to me about it, you know that I’m here for you. Heck, if you even wanted to talk to someone who’s pro-life, you could probably go talk to the pastor for the church my boyfriend, Joseph, goes to. Sure, Joseph is also pro-choice, but again, it’s a fresh set of eyes.” She shrugged, not really sure if her advice was appreciated or necessary in the moment. “Again, it’s all just suggestions.”</p><p> </p><p>He smiled, fidgeting with his fingers. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind, however, I’d personally avoid someone with a religious agenda backing their beliefs regarding what to do with babies, you know?”</p><p> </p><p>She shrugged. “I honestly wouldn’t know what I’d do if I were in your shoes, but I’ll help you however you want help.”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>He pulled his friend into a hug. “Thank you so much, Mary.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The bell for the school day rang, and the two partners in crime arrived on campus in Damien's car just in the nick of time for Damien to rush to his first class on time. However, since first period was Mary's free period and Logan's P.E. class, that meant Mary could give that sad excuse of a human being the beat-down of his life.</p><p> </p><p>With one backpack strap slung over her shoulder, she made sure that the gym was her one and only destination. With luck, she managed to not get stopped by any staff members on her way to infiltrate the class in normal clothes. After silently entering the gym, she quickly began scanning the area for Logan. It didn't take long for the prick to stand out with his fuckboy stance and the overall way he carried himself. Just seeing him there existing was enough to send her over the edge. She walked straight through the kids running the mile in useless ovals, grabbing the ex by the collar of his shirt. "You're gonna come with me, got it?"</p><p> </p><p>He raised his hands in the air as a sign of surrender, but she knew better than to trust him. She pulled him back through the crowd of runners and led him outside, shutting the door behind her. Immediately, she went off on him. "What the absolute <em>fuck</em>  did you do to Damien? He's absolutely destroyed because of what you did to him! Why are you accusing him of sleeping with me? Can't you realize that maybe this was an accident? Hell, you both used protection the whole time I'm sure, so that excludes any of this being planned of both of your ends."</p><p> </p><p>"Oh, no, I took off the condom halfway through," he said nonchalantly with a shrug. "You can't get pregnant when you're on testosterone, and I know that he was on T when we fucked. He did his injection the same day."</p><p> </p><p>Mary was absolutely dumbfounded. Was he truly that fucking dense? "You <em>do</em>  realize that people can still become pregnant while they're taking testosterone, right? Jesus <em>Christ</em>, it's like saying you can't be depressed while taking anti-depressants! You're such a fucking dumbass, you know that right?"</p><p> </p><p>"I thought he was just saying that just for me to put a fucking condom on!"</p><p> </p><p>"Why are you so focused on fucking without a condom?!"</p><p> </p><p>"It feels better that way, that's why," he said while rolling his eyes, settling on making a "duh" face at Mary.</p><p> </p><p>"Alright, time to have my next detention referral written out." With that, she socked him right in his face, which instantly sent him back a couple of steps and his eyes ready to set fire to anything they focused on. Mary continued shouting, "Was it all a joke to you? All of his warnings to use protection? All the times he asked you not to touch him on certain areas of his body? Was it all a fucking joke to you?" She hit him again, which earned her an equally as hard punch to the face.</p><p> </p><p>"I bet you Damien was just your side chick this whole time. There's no way you both are that close and not each others' fuck buddies."</p><p> </p><p>Another sock to his face.</p><p> </p><p>"You better shut your filthy fucking mouth," Mary said, ready to unleash more punches to unravel all of her pent up anger that she built up against him over the two years of him and Damien having been together. "You must be a bitter little bitch to have so little faith in your boyfriend. Lousy scum!"</p><p> </p><p>He looked ready to throw another punch. "Do you really want to fight me? You're going to wind up with another detention referral. How many does it take before you end up getting suspended, I wonder? Maybe you'll even get expelled since you're the school's troublemaker of the year! Go ahead and run off before I give you a reason to go to the nurse's office you little roach."</p><p> </p><p>He spit on her face, which earned him a kick to the balls before she darted off away from him and wherever her legs could take her. She knew she had a target on her back now, but she didn't care anymore. She wanted to protect Damien at all costs, and that so-called human essentially ruined her best friend's life. After running all sorts of directions around campus, she took a breather outside of the drama room.</p><p> </p><p>This was going to be quite the development to tell Damien.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. October 3, 2005</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>October 3, 2005.</p><p>That was the date written on the top of the Math test. Damien’s hand was still as his mind was clouded not by equations and formulas, but rather the shocking news and unsavory events of the day before.</p><p>“15 minutes left!” his teacher called out from her desk.</p><p>He looked up at her for a moment, and she made direct eye contact. It was rather inevitable since he did have a front row seat. In front of her desk.</p><p>His focus returned back onto his test.</p><p>No questions answered.</p><p>Just a name and date at the top of the paper.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There may or may not be formatting issues (missing italicized text, parts that should be in block quotes, etc.), but otherwise, I've put a lot of time into this chapter, and I hope it doesn't disappoint those who've been waiting for an update. I hope you enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>October 3, 2005.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was the date written on the top of the Math test. Damien’s hand was still as his mind was clouded not by equations and formulas, but rather the shocking news and unsavory events of the day before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even though he did drive himself and Mary to school today, he would give anything in order to skip today, but his parents said that playing off everything as if nothing had happened was the best course of action. Considering how 2005 has shown itself to not necessarily be the most groundbreaking year for trans people to exist unashamed and without repercussions, he wanted to avoid having this mishap be spread around. Not everyone knew about his trans identity. In fact, only Mary, Joseph, and Logan knew along with some key staff members that had to acknowledge the name and gender marker change before he was allowed to enter the high school.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was actually supposed to automatically get moved into the high school that his elementary and middle school classmates all funnel into, however, considering how he was starting his transition and would best not experience it with everyone making a spectacle of it, him and his family agreed a new high school was the best course of action.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But that all might have been for nothing at this rate. What would Logan do? Would he end up spreading blatantly untrue rumors about him without him noticing? Would he tell everyone that he was trans? His mind continued to spiral as he fell into the rabbit hole of anxiety.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“15 minutes left!” his teacher called out from her desk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked up at her for a moment, and she made direct eye contact. It was rather inevitable since he did have a front row seat. In front of her desk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His focus returned back onto his test.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No questions answered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just a name and date at the top of the paper.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could feel sweat forming on his forehead. This was definitely not gonna look good for him. It was now or never to get points on the test, so he managed to push away all of the thoughts that plagued him and started on the first question.</span>
</p><p> </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <span>Find the circumference of a circle with the radius of 3.4cm.</span>
  </p>
</blockquote><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not that one.</span>
</p><p> </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <span>Selecting from answers A-D, find what is a simplified form of 3(5x-10)^2 = 7,500</span>
  </p>
</blockquote><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yup, he was most definitely going to be a dead duck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He heard the teacher get up from her desk and walk in his direction. He brought his lips into his mouth and bit down since there was no other way for him to curl into a ball and hide from her. It’s not that she scared him, but he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was  </span>
  </em>
  <span>going to fail this test. He didn’t want her to see one of her best students failing a test that he should technically be able to solve. Wow, he really was going to let her down today.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She casually placed a  folded sticky note on his desk as she continued walking down the isles of desks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isn’t sharing notes not allowed? He hoped this wasn’t her testing his ability to follow the rules. He’s always done a good job of following the rules, except for that one time he ditched class. But that was only because Mary needed help patching up her scrapes after she was running from a dog on her way to school. The dog really tore through her jeans, but at least it was a fashion statement now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to read the note.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He quietly unfolded the sticky note and read it as sneakily as he could.</span>
</p><p> </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <span>I noticed you’re having trouble with the test. You can talk with me after class if you’d like.</span>
  </p>
</blockquote><p> </p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t tell if she was going to get him in trouble or not. He really didn’t want to deal with getting sent to detention. Do they even send people to detention for failing tests? He sure didn’t want to find out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Time’s up! Go head and turn in your tests to my desk and you can pack up your bags. Be sure to stay inside the classroom until the bell rings. I can’t afford to ruin my reputation as a good teacher by letting you all scurry about the halls doing lord knows what. Principal Anderson nearly spotted one of you leaving the class early, but luckily he didn’t notice.” Half of the students already handed in their tests by the time she finished with her mini monologue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Damien was basically glued to his seat. He didn’t really know how to react to failing the test and what she would do as discipline.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He really needed to try some anti-anxiety medications because this was getting out of control.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bell rang, and the students all left like the day was already over. It was only first period.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Damien slowly stood up, putting on his backpack, and avoided making eye contact as he walked up to her desk and  handed her his test. In a low voice, clearly riddled with shame, he said, “I’m sorry I didn’t finish the test. I wasn’t able to focus at all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s alright, Damien. I’m more worried about why you weren’t able to focus.” She sat down at the desk, looking at him with concern on her face. “I’ve noticed that you have already struggled with focus before, and you’ve already talked with me about your autism, but this seems different. I know that I’m not a school psychologist, but just know that if you ever want or need to talk to an adult about something, I’m here to help, alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Damien still avoided eye contact by looking at the desk instead. He didn’t really know how to respond.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can take the test tomorrow or the day after if that’ll ease your stress. I know you and this was most likely a fluke, so I’m not going to hold it against you, okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes Miss Beserra.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a tense silence. He really wanted to tell someone else about it, but would it even be worth it?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe he could be cryptic about it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took in a deep breath, exhaled, and then said, “What would you do in the event if, lets say, a really close friend of yours got pregnant? Well, specifically a teen pregnancy. I-I’m sure you’re not friends with any teenagers considering that you’re a teacher and all, but… I don’t know, what would your advice be?” He finally raised up his eyes, looking for any trace of positive feedback.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her face changed from concerned to </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span>  concerned. Her voice remained calm, however. “Have you spoken with your friend about it in depth?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah,” he looked away again, “The problem is that, well, when the news was revealed, um, he- th-the boyfriend… um…” he began wringing his hands, “W-well… he broke up with the girl- um… yeah, girlfriend and he doesn’t want anything to do with hi- her anymore. It hurts seeing my friend go through this, but I really want her to be able to stay strong through it,” his eyes were starting to form tears, “So… are teachers even allowed to give advice on this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She thought for a couple of moments, trying to make sure she didn’t word anything in a way that would be negatively misinterpreted. She finally stated, “Well, if you want to have a teacher’s opinion, I can answer now. However, if you want to have a normal adult’s opinion, you can talk with me after school when I’m off the clock. The teacher liability doesn’t really hold up the same after hours, you know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Damien nodded, touching at his neck anxiously. “The sooner the advice, the better I guess.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Miss Beserra looked at the door, no students coming anytime too soon, at least for now. She leaned forward and said in a low voice, “I’ll give my normal adult opinion now since no other students are here, but if you can give the girlfriend support, then that’s going to be the best thing you can do. I know that abortions are a dodgy subject, but that’s technically still an option, but don’t push that on anyone. Well, don’t push any options too hard. This is a very emotionally vulnerable time, so give her time to think on things. If she’s firm on what she wants to do, then as a friend, it’s good for you to support her. Otherwise, if she needs to let the school know that she’s going to continue on with the pregnancy, then be prepared for her to get transferred out to one of the lower quality public schools, which is a travesty all on its own, </span>
  <em>
    <span>or</span>
  </em>
  <span>  she might have to be home schooled until the baby is born or until she graduates. Is it alright if I ask how far along she is?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No more than a week.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. Since she’s not showing yet, she has more time to think on things. Just remember that support is the biggest thing that she needs right now. I trust that you’ll be there for her, though.” She smiled that kind of smile that you give when you’re comforting someone during the lowest points in their life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kind of like right now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Th-thank you. Is it alright if I come back in the future for more advice? It’s kind of a big deal. The first is like a… well like a sister to me. I-I don’t have any siblings, but it’s- she’s very important and I would hate to see her get hurt from this.” It took him until now for him to notice that his legs were shaking. Hopefully she wouldn’t be able to pick up on the fact that he was the one who was pregnant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She leaned back, opening her arms as she said, “My door is always open, Damien!” She returned her hands to her desk, looking at the door as the first batch of students began walking in. “Just remember what I said: teacher advice vs normal adult opinions. I’ll stay a little longer after school just in case you ever want to talk about it, is that okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded his head and gave a small bow. “Thank you, I really appreciate it,” and he gave a crooked smile, still filled with anxiety. “H-have a good one,” he said with a wave as he walked out of the classroom. He didn’t look to see if she waved back since he had a class to be at.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If only the end of the school day came sooner.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Did speaking with Miss Beserra quell his anxieties?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Did it help him feel more cared for given his current state of affairs, even though he wasn’t telling the complete truth to her?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By the time he snapped out of his trance, the bell had already run for class to be excused. He looked at his surroundings and the students were just starting to pack up their bags, so he wasn’t absurdly late to get out of the classroom.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looked down at his English notes. Some notes are better than none, at least. As long as he did the reading for To Kill a Mockingbird at home, he should be fine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The only real roadblock was if his mental state would allow him to focus on anything except for his… situation. Mentally, he crossed his fingers and left the classroom with his belongings. Now, time to find Mary.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dames! Get over here quickly!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looks like she found him first. The problem was he couldn’t see her in the sea of students quickly trying to flood themselves out of the crammed halls and get into the cafeteria for lunch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He let out a yelp as a familiar hand gripped his wrist and managed to direct him safely through the crowd that would trample him if he slowed down. It took a few seconds for the initial shock to subside, especially considering how Mary wasn’t going to put him in any risk of danger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>One thing did confuse him, however.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were moving away from where the crowd was headed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh no.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I think this is a good spot,” Mary stopped the both of them by a door that would lead them to the outdoor part of the campus. Why she didn’t go outside was something he couldn’t guess, but there was something very obviously important going on. He just wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear it since it would most likely be about Logan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s about Logan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yup, this wasn’t going to be fun for him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He let out a sigh and anxiously wrapped his arms around his stomach. “Did you talk to him earlier?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded, a nervous look beginning to form on her face. “I guess it’s just a matter of whether or not you’re ready to hear it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another sigh, but after swallowing in an attempt to get rid of the lump forming there, albeit it was in vain, he nodded. “It’s now or never. Besides, it’s not like I’m in a relationship with him anymore. Now… what did he say on the matter?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t excited to deliver the information, however she was more than willing to tell the truth rather than sugar coat an already bitter event.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well… Okay, wait, one thing that confused and angered the hell out of me was that he was accusing me of sleeping with you. I mean, you’re basically like a brother to me, so, no. Also, I’m already dating Joseph and we have promise rings, which to him, are basically celibacy rings. Not anything bad necessarily, but still, no, I’m not sleeping with you.” She looked at him to see how he was reacting to things so far, and she was confused to see that his reaction looked like he’s already heard this before, but she continued onward. “Anyways, aside from that and him implying that I’m trans even though that’s not true either, he… Oh God, how do I say this...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Damien removed his arms from his stomach and instead placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I know you’re telling me this for a reason. I believe in you. After all, you make nonstop promises to protect me from whatever it is that the world throws at me, so I trust you.” He gave a smile, but it was one still filled with nervousness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded and finally opened her mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He took the condom off sometime during the middle of you both… well, you know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She could feel his hand tense, and she observed his body, trying to get a read of how to react. He was frozen solid and she could tell that he was losing color to his already pale skin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dames, I-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“N-no… i-it’s… I’m... “ He slowly took his now shaky hand off of her shoulder and took a couple of clumsy steps backwards. “I-I… Oh gods… This… I…” He stopped trying to form any coherent sentences and instead just plopped to the floor, face buried into his hands and he brought his knees to his chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mary’s heart broke when Damien let out the first couple of sobs. Was he going to be alright? She shook her head. Of course he wasn’t going to be okay. I think this news was probably worse than him realizing that he accidentally got pregnant. All she could do was sit down beside him and rub small circles on his back with her thumb.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t expect him to have an appetite for lunch, but she already had some snacks for him so he could nibble on something between classes. For now though, she was just going to sit there, waiting until he had no more tears left to cry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fifteen minutes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luckily Damien carried tissues in his backpack, so he didn’t have a mess on his face aside from the tears he was still wiping away. Were there spots on his glasses from his tears? Yes. He wasn’t all too worried about that at the moment, though.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Finally, Mary softly and cautiously spoke, “Do you need to leave school early? I know your parents are at work right now, at least, I think they are, but they might be able to call you out of school so you have time to cool off.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stopped rubbing circles into his back once he stood himself up. The offer was more than temping. He could use the time for recovery, considering the recent developments. He didn’t want to overextend himself any further than he already did. Day two of things going more than amiss and he was having a hard time keeping up with things.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What a week.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He went to reach into his pocket, but he stopped.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have a teacher to speak with after school. I can’t miss that.” He had an apparent look of urgency on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was most definitely not overlooked by his dearest friend.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did something happen in one of your classes?” She didn’t want to push anything, but she was curious, especially considering the look he had on his face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He rubbed the back of his neck as he came up with an answer on the fly, “I actually wasn’t able to do my math test today. It was… interesting to say the least. I didn’t answer a single one since my brain was too focused on… well, this situation. Miss Beserra said she’d be able to work something out for me though, so she said she’d be available after school to work things out with me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wasn’t necessarily lying. If anything, it was a white lie. Nothing harmful, but it did hurt his heart a little just knowing that he didn’t tell the entire truth to her. She didn’t seem to pick up on it, though.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded and stood up with him, patting his shoulder. “I hope it all goes well Dames. And remember, you’re doing the best you can right now. Try not to beat yourself up too hard right now. I’m here to support you whenever you need me to, alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded and cracked a genuine smile. “Thank you Mary, I really do appreciate your kind words and support. They are helping a lot more than you know.” He held her hands, letting out a sigh, then laughing. “You truly are a friend. You’ve seen me through all of my highs and my lows. While this is most definitely one of the lowest moments of my life, if not, my lowest of all, you have truly stood by my side and I couldn’t ask for any more from you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mary began tearing up. She wasn’t used to this kind of appreciation. Considering her home life, this was one of the biggest compliments that she had ever received. It just sucked how the compliment was born from a situation as intense as this. She was more than willing to accept the compliment anyways. “Trust me, I’m always down to help you through anything and everything you ask me to. Even though life is an entire roller coaster at the moment, you’ve seen </span>
  <em>
    <span>me </span>
  </em>
  <span> of all people experience tons of detentions, borderline suspensions, getting called to the principal’s office for so many things, and even witnessed me punch a guy square in the jaw and kick him in the balls. Safe to say, we’re both in this together.” She brought him into a hug, making sure to whisper in his ear in case any staff were nearby, “In the event that you do go through with the pregnancy, just know that I’d be more than willing to be Aunt Mary and co-parent whenever you need me to, okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hugged her tighter when she said that. He didn’t deserve a friend this kind, yet he had the luck of having her in his life. Were it not for the fact that he was gay, he would most definitely be pushed to date Mary, were it not for the fact that she was dating Joseph. Regardless, he really did appreciate her support.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, that wouldn’t be a bad idea. You’d be a wonderful aunt, I know it.” He released Mary from the hug, and gave another smile. “I still haven’t made a decision yet, but when I do, you will for sure be the first to know, alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She gave him a thumbs up. “You’ve got it! It’s definitely an honor, and like I’ve said before a million times, I’m not gonna push you in any direction. For now, I’d say we just hang out until next class and I’ll give you some snacks so you can eat something whenever you feel up to it, alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a silent nod from Damien, the both of them walked off to the cafeteria. Before they walked through the cafeteria doors, he stopped and turned to Mary. “Are my eyes or face still red?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She quickly scanned what he asked for and nodded. “Your eyes are still a little puffy. I also think you should get the spots off of your glasses since it probably isn’t good for your eyes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Somehow the spots on his glasses completely went over his head. His memory really decided to act up on him today. Well, I guess in this instance, it was his observational skills. To be fair, he did just have a bit of a breakdown, so this was to be expected. “Would you mind if I went to the restroom to get myself fixed up?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No problemo. I’ll save you a spot in the cafeteria at our usual spot, okay? I’ll be sure to get Joseph to join us if you’re fine with that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t mind at all Mary. I’ll be sure to find the both of you once I return. I’ll see you both really soon.” They both waved each other off, then Damien went into the nearest boys’ restroom.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Each time he entered any sort of men’s room, it never ceased to confuse him. While he was used to using these facilities, he was more used to the cleanliness of the women’s restrooms. Not only that, but they wouldn’t urinate standing next to someone else that could see your private parts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sense of privacy and different social etiquette was something that he wished would also carry over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then again, as long as people minded their business in the men’s room, a lot of this could be avoided.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It still didn’t quell his nerves.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After shaking the thoughts away, he got some paper towel squares, wet them with cold water, and hooked his glasses onto the neckline of his shirt so he could press the wet  paper towels onto his eyes. Within minutes, his eyes lost their puffy appearance. He tossed the now-useless soggy paper towels into the trash and got to cleaning his glasses. Once that was complete, he left the restroom and made his way to the cafeteria.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It didn’t take long for him to find Mary and Joseph sitting at a far corner of the cafeteria, so he speed walked over them and sat down, finally taking off his backpack and setting it down. It took until now for him to notice just how much weight the bag had. It felt like his back was lighter than air. Maybe he should go through his bag when he gets home just to make sure he wasn’t carrying anything unnecessary on him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Joseph waved to Damien, which caught Damien’s attention. “Hi Damien, how’ve classes been for you so far today?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Damien gave out a nervous laugh and began rubbing his neck again. “Heh, about that, I’ve been struggling all day. I’ve had quite a few things on my mind today. I just need to keep my head on straight and hopefully it will all work itself out with time.” He knew it wouldn’t be as simple as that, but in order to keep word of his pregnancy under control, he wanted to limit just how many people knew about this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, well if you ever needed any help with studying, I could help you out. I’d be more than willing to spend time making sure you understand the material. Although, I don’t know how much help I’d be for your Honors English class.” He finished it off with a chuckle, trying to keep the atmosphere lighthearted. While he wasn’t aware of Damien’s pregnancy, he wasn’t blind to the uneasy atmosphere that Mary and Damien carried. He wasn’t going to insert himself into their business, however. He knew when to not involve himself into other peoples’ affairs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Damien returned the chuckle. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind whenever the need arises. I do appreciate your offer, however. Oh, I completely forgot, how much time do we have before sixth period starts?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Joseph sneakily pulled out his cell phone to check the time. “Oh, we’ve got about fifteen minutes left. Did you have someplace to be?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The other shook his head. “No, I just thought the next class was going to start right now. I guess I really am experiencing time blindness,” he said with a laugh. The other two joined in, the heaviness in the air starting to fade. It wasn’t entirely gone, but it was better than before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All that was left was to speak to Miss Beserra after school.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Finished up the last of the details during the first couple minutes of the new year! I know that 2020 has kicked so many peoples' asses, but if there's one thing that we've learned from this past year, it's that we need to make the best of whatever positive things we come across and push back against any bullshit that the world decides to dish out to ourselves and the communities that we are surrounded by or involved in.</p><p>We're stronger than a year stamped on a calendar, and don't be afraid to acknowledge your weaker moments. It's hard being strong all the time, so let your weaker moments be your recovery time. You're gonna do great, I believe in every single one of you. &lt;3</p><p>Here's to a new year!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'll be back tomorrow to check for spelling errors which I'm sure are prevalent throughout the chapter since I stayed up until 4 AM writing this. This series will have updates, but I can't promise how frequent updates will be. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you'll stick around for the whole ride!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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